Envelope



4Awal 1s, 1924. 1,490,600 s. P. DILLoN A' ENVELOPE Original Filed April 5 0, 1919 2 sheets-sheet 2.

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Patented Apr. l5, i924.

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P T EN FT QFF ICE ysimon r. nILLoN, or noacnnsrnn, Messnonusirrrs.V

l y Annvlnrorn.

To all whom t may conce/fa.'

Beitvknownthat-.L SIMON?. DILLoN, a citizen of the :United States, residing at Dorchester, in kthe county of `Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement in Envelopes, voi which the kffollowingjis a specification, rei-4 erence being hadtherein to the accompany ino` drawings.

Edy invention relates to yenvelopes and more/particularly to an envelope having provision `forfcarryinga card orslip on :its outside surface.

At `,the present time, it is customary in postoiiir'es,'.when. a return receipt for a registered letter isdemanded by the senden to prepare at fthe/mailing point a return receipt card-which'is then :attached to the letter by `a rubber band or 4metal clip or other similar device. It frequently happens, howeverj that `in. the yvarious handlings to .which the 'letter issubjected before it reaches its` destination that vthe `card V'becomes separated yfrom the `letter and the letter `is delivered without securing a `return receipt. 'The failure of the postoiiice to return to thesender of the letter-thereturn yreceipt then leads to a complaint `on hispart and a request forthe receipt. This in turn necessitates yan examination 4oi' the records of the registry division of'thepostoffice and ithe preparation of a `new card which is forwarded for the signature `of the :addressee or trie registeredletter. `The complaints originating from this cause alone require the services of a number 0i clerks in every large lpostoiiice merely 4or investigation ofthe cases. Furthermore,' thenuinher of metal clips or other `holding devices used in postoiiices ithroughout the vcountry costs `in the yaggregate a considerable sum e very year.

.The main objectofmy invention is to provide an envelope for use primarily for registered .mail having a pocket `formed on the outside/to receiveand holdsecurely the return or other card.

A further object is the provision of such means of the above character that theenvelope may be formed from one suitable blank.

Another Objectis to provide an envelope the use of' which will render metal clips or other fastening devices unnecessary and thereby obviatethis expense.

v@ther yobjects `oi the invent-ion will be more specifically set forth and explained hereinafter.

In ythe accompanying 4drawings Jwhich illustrate the preferred embodimentgofan'y invention, Figure l is a plan view of a'blank from vlwhich an lenvelope may be made in accordance with myinventiom Fig. 2 isa plan view 4oifthereverse side of an envelope formed from the 4blank/shown in Fig. 1, with `the `l`flap Vdesigned `to 1orm the return card pocket turned outwardly; Fig. -3 is a similar view vshowing thenflapcadjusted inposition to hold the return-card with its end secured h'to vthe body of theenvelope; Fig. Ai vis va plan viewoffthe front for address side of :the venvelope v`showing the `end of the flap turned over the ytop edge of the-envelope and securedthereto; Fig. `5 is a cross-sectional -view of envelope andreturn card arranged in @the pocket y'on line 5-5 in Fig; VFig-6 is a plan view `ofa blank ot-aform -adaptedlforia' large sized envelope in which l:the flap for holding the 4return card `is-of diEerent-proportions Fig. 7 is --a plan view of the reverse or lbackside of an 4envelope made from kythe "blank shown i116 with the return card iap turned outwardly in `openI position; Fig'. 8 is ai plan view/of the same showing theilap in ksecured position with areturn card in the pocket; and Figi) Avis a cross-sectional view on linel9-9 in Fig.8l.

My invention contemplates an envelope having a pocket vformed on fthe back or sealed" part of the envelope to receivegand hold a return receipt card orother similar article. Preferably this -is yaccomplished by so 'foriningfthefblank ro1n-whiiclrthe envelopepis built up that aftervthe envelope `has beenformeda iiap or strap of suitable'width remainsuponthe'baclr orsealed side of the envelope vwhich may be secured l Place after the envelopefhas been filled and sealed, to .form a poclret for the'reception of the return card. WVhile my `invention is designedV especially for `usel in vconnection with registeredmail, it is obvious thatit is capable of manyother uses.

Reierringito the drawings,'iFigures l yto 5 inclusive, l have shown one embodiment of my inventionshowing an envelopemade up of a ybody-portion 10, with-endffiaps 11-'11, side sealing flap l2 and an elongated flap 13 onthe 'oppositeside In vFigure l is shown a Iblank from which the envelope `may ybe made by turning fover .the two end flaps 11-ll, one of the same being provided with adhesive ld. After the end flaps have been secured together by bending along the line lle-l5 by means of adhesive 14e, the side flap 13 is then folded over on the line 17 the adhesive 18 being used to cement the flap to the two end flaps ll-ll. These operations complete the envelope with the folding over of the flap l2 on the line 20 as shown in F ig. 2. Illhe envelope is then ready for use. After the enclosure has been inserted and the flap l2 sealed upon the two end flaps 11H11, it is ready to be mailed.

The flap 13 provided with adhesive 2l on its free end, may be secured in position by folding the end 22 of the flap over the top side of the envelope into the position shown in Fig. 4;. This may be done before mailing or may be done by the postoiice employees when the letter is registered. By sea-ling the flap to the body of the envelope va pocket is formed between the back of the envelope and the flap 13 and into this pocket may be inserted either a return receipt card or any other card which is intended to travel with the envelope to its destination and either be returned or not.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 I have shown a slight modilication of my invention, due to the tact that it is applied to an envelope of large size. In Figs. l to 5 inclusive the envelope shown is intended to represent an ordinary sized envelope, in which case the return registration card approximating it in size, will fill up the pocket. Where a large sized envelope is used, as shown in Figs. 6 to 9, it is unnecessary to turn the pocket forming flap over the side of the envelope, but the end of it may be secured by adhesive on the back of the envelope as shown in Fig. 8, thereby forming aI pocket large enough to take the ordinary register card.

Although my invention is designed primarily for use in connection with registered mail, it is not to be limited thereto but is capable or" various other uses where it is oesired to have sealed envelopes carry either return or other cards on the outside and open to inspection. The use of my invention in connection with registered mail has many distinct advantages. The return card is securely held within the pocket and cannot become separated from the envelope during the handling to which mail is ordinarily subjected. Unquestionably, this fact may be productive of a large saving in clerk hire for the Government, and the eradication of an ever present source of annoyance, inconvenience and loss to the public.

While l have shown my invention as ap4 plied to an envelope made from a single blank, it is to be understood that my invenof said envelope, the lower edges of said side flaps being parallel to the lower edge or" said body-portion, a sealing fla on the upper side of said body-portion and a narrow side flap on the lower side of said body-portion folded over the lower edges of the end flaps and secured thereto, the. central portion oi said side flap being extended' to torni a band having its free end only provided with adhesive whereby after the envelope has been sealed the said band may be laid over the back of said envelope and its end secured to said envelope at or near its upper edge in order to form a pocket adapted to hold a return registry card.

2. A blank for an envelope having a bodyportion, two end flaps adapted to be folded over said body-portion and secured together to form the back of the envelope, a sealing flap on the upper side of said body-portion and a narrow side flap on the lower side of said body-portion, said side ilap having its central portion extended to form a band with its free end only coated with adhesive whereby after the envelope has been formed and sealed the said band may be laid over the back of said envelope over said sealing flap and its end fastened to said envelope at or near the upper edge thereof in order to form a pocket upon the back of the envelope adapted to receive and hold a card.

3. The combination with an envelope having a front portion for the address and a sealing lap on its back, of a band, secured at one end to the lower side of the back of said envelope, and having its free end only provided with adhesive, whereby after the envelope has been sealed the said band may be laid over the back and sealing iiap of said envelope and its end secured to said envelope at or near its upper edge, in order to form a pocket adapted to hold a return registry card. A

4. The combination with an envelope having a body-portion, two end aps folded over said body-portion, and two side portions, one serving as a sealing flap and the other folded over with said end portions and secured together, forming the back of said envelope, of a band secured on the back of said envelope adjacent the lower side thereof and having its free end only provided with adhesive, whereby after the' envelope has been sealed the said band may be laid over the hack of said envelope and over said sealed flap and its end secured to said envelope at or near its upper edge, in order to form e pocket adapted to hold a return registry card.

5. The combination With an envelope having a front portion for the address and a sealing flap on its back, of a. band secured at one end to one side of the back of said envelope and having its free end only provided With adhesive whereby after the envelope has been sealed, the said band may 15 be leid over the hack of seid envelope and over the said sealed sealing flap and its end secured to said envelope at or near its other edge in order to form a pocket adapted to hold tightly e return registry card.

ln Witness whereof, l hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of April, 1919.

SlMON P. DlLLON'. 

